Boiler conditioning apparatus



Dec. 10, 1940. F. w. `wnLLla-R 2,224,605

n I BOILER CONDITIONINC APPARATU$ f Original Filed Sept. 30. 1937kINVENTOR. v

ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 10, 1940 tion of Illinois No. 166,509. Divided october zo,195s, serial No. l300,330

- JAN le 1945 BOILEB CONDITIONING APPARATUS Frank W. Miller,` Chicago,lll., f. .asslgnor to Franclare Company, Chicago, lll., a corpora-Orlginal application September 30, 1937, Serial" PATENT fori-fles.-v

and this application s claims. (o1. 261476) This invention relates tothe conditioning of steam boilers generally by wholly or partiallyblowing on the contaminated fluid contents of rv the boiler andreplacing the same .with clean, fresh Water. While the invention isadapted for use in connection with boilers of the stationary type, it isparticularly advantageous in the reconditioning of locomotive boilers,because it enables suchfboilers to be reconditioned or replenished withsteam and water` to produce or maintain in the boiler sulilcientsteaming pressure to make the locomotive self-propelling. Thisapplication is a division of vmy pending application Serial No. 166,509,filed September 30, 1937. Oneof the primary purposes of my presentinvention is to provide an apparatus of the character indicated whichwill be capable of increasing the temperature of the vrefill. waterapproximately 50 F. by the admixture and entraiment of steam in suchwater and without the produc? tion of any appreciable water hammer.

In accordance with my invention, the water under high pressure isemployed as the propulsive force and is delivered from a nozzle into thethroat of a Venturi tube embodied in a socalled heat booster, while thesteam under a lower pressure than the water is drawn in large quantitiesinto the stream lat the low pressure area in the throat of the venturiwith the result that steam heat units in large volume'are added to theWater to raise its temperature Well above the boiling point so that inpractice the water is delivered to the boiler at a steaming temperatureof 235 F. ormore. In this manner, the boiler can be quickly refilledwith water to the desired water level at which time a sub- Y stantialsteam pressure will have been Vcreated in the boiler. If such pressurebe insuflicient for the self-propulsion of the locomotive, the Water.may be cut off when the appropriate water level in the boiler has beenreached, and steam alone may thereafter be admitted until the desiredboiler pressure has been reached.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the principles of myinvention, I have i1- lustrated on the accompanying drawing a preferredembodiment thereof, although it should be understood that the inventionis capable of embodiment in apparatus both for locomotive and stationaryboilers in structural assemblies4 differing substantially from thepresent illustrative disclosure. Referring to the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevation partially in section of one of theservicingnnits located ad; jacent a round house stall, and f Fi 21S aVertical'setional view through the heat booster shown in Fig. 1. l

Referring to the drawings more in detail, the apparatus'comprlses ablow-olf line I2 through which b1ow-o1 products from the locomotiveboilerarellelivered forconservation in the usual ReSSUt f .JAN ienmanner,l a" washout line I6 Ato which washout k water is delivered fromany suitable sourceand from which it 'is delivered through a drop Ilanda Washoutnozzle (not shown) to the interior of the boiler forwashoutpurposes, a rell line.28 )which is supplied with 'rell water by a highpressure pump adapted to deliver the water under a pressure of or morepounds, and a live steam line 33 connectedwith'any suitabley steamsource, the various lines and the .con-V nected apparatus beingsupported upon abracket 39 or other suitable support. The steam pressurein line 38 is maintained substantially below the water pressure in therefill line 28 by a pressure regulator of standard construction (notshown), all as fully described in my parent application aboveidentii'led.- y Y Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1 wherein thewashout, blow-oil, rell and live steam lines are shown in section, itwill be observed that each of these lines is connectedfwith the maindrop 8 of the service unitin a manner which Will now be explained. Therell line 28 is connected through' a` riser 4I, preferably of in-v 30verted U shape with the upper end 42 of a nozzle y provided with anoperating lever 48 which may be actuated from the floor through the'medium of drop chains 49 andv 5I equipped'with hand grips 52 and 53respectively.

The booster casing 44 is of elongated cylindrical shape provided with aninternalshoulder 54 upon which a flanged Venturi tube 55 isseated inalignment withr and slightly spaced from Vthe end of thev nozzle 43, thebore vof which,V as will be apparent from Fig. 3, is tapered.-

The live steam line 38 is connected with the` interior of the casing 44in proximity to the l nozzle 43 and ahead (of the venturi 55, through apipe 56 which is equipped with a hand shut# on' valve 51 operable fromVthe iloor through'` chains 58 and with an adjustable' regulatingvvalve.59,l which may bemanually set to deliver*V at any predeterminedrate of ow.

The casing 44 is also provided with a lateral branch 6l which isconnected through a pipe 62 to the blow-off line I2, this pipe beingprovided shut-off valve B4 provided with an operating lever' 65 whichmay be actuated from the v:tioor through the chains 66 and 61 equippedrespectively with the hand grips 68 and 69.

y The apparatus functions substantially as follows:

Assuming that the conduit 9 is connected with the boiler to be blownoff, valves 41l and 51 are closed, and valve 64 is opened to permit theboiler lcontents to be Wholly or partially blown off through theblow-off line I2. If partial blowoli' of contaminated water andreplacement thereof by fresh water is contemplated While maintaining theboiler under steam pressure, Valve 64 is closed and valves 41 and 51 areopened after a predetermined quantity of the contaminated water has beenblown ofi. Thereupon water under pressure in excess of the boilerpressure is delivered from the refill line 28 through the nozzle 43 andventuri 55, and steam under a lower pressure is delivered from the steamline 38v into the booster 44 around nozzle 43 from pipe 56.

As the water under vhigher pressure than the steam is discharged by thenozzle through the venturi, its velocity is increased and its staticpressure is decreased at the throat of the venturi so that the steamsurrounding the nozzle is injected into and entrained in the water inlarge quantities, thereby raising the temperature of the water fromaround 200 to 240 to 250 so that the water when delivered intortheboiler is considerably above steaming temperature.

When the blown-off contaminated Water has,

been replaced by an vequal quantity of fresh water, thereby restoringthe water level in the boiler, valves 41 and 51 are closed and valve 64is opened permitting another partial blow-off. The alternate partialblowing off and replace- 4ment of the blown-oif water with fresh wateris continued until the boiler'contains the desired amount of water andof a condition suitable for further continued operation of the boiler.

If a complete blowing off, washout, and refilling operation is to beperformed, valve 64 remains open while valve 41 and 51 remain closeduntil the entire contents of the boiler have been blown off. Thereupon,the boiler may be washed out by water delivered from the drop I1 in the`usual manner and then refilled with clean fresh hammer and more steamis'entrained with the water, thereby producing a greater increase inwater temperature than has heretofore, so far as I am aware, beenproduced. The elimination of the water *hammerv is attributable tousingthe water a'sthe propulsive force in the booster and deliveringthis water at a substantially higher pressure than the pressure oftheheating steam,

- whichenters the chamber around the nozzle at a lower pressure than thewater and is drawn in large quantities into the water stream by the.

temporary reduction in pressure in the throat of the venturi whichenables the steam to enter the venturi and become thoroughly mingledwith and entrained in the water as the stream reassumes its normalpressureA and velocity upon expansion beyond the Venturi.

With a system embodying my invention it is not unusual with the valvesfuily'openvto replenish a locomotive boiler at a speed of from threehundred to six hundred gallons of water per minute at a 'temperature of250 or more.

With either method of reconditioning, if the steam pressure in theboiler at the conclusion of the reconditioning operation is insufficientfor self-propulsion of the locomotive, the valve 41 may be closed whenthe desired water level in the boiler has been attained and the valve 51left open to thereby supply additional steam to the boiler v until aself-propelling pressure has been established therein.

It is believed that my invention and many of its manifest that thestructural details shown and` described for illustrative purposes may bevaried within wide limits within the scope of my invention as defined inthe fouawing claims.

I claim: 1. A boiler conditioning apparatus comprising a cylindricalcasing provided with an internal,

annular shoulder, a Venturi tube seated on said shoulder, a nozzleprojecting into the upper end of the casing into cooperative. relationto said Venturi, means for securing said nozzle in position, means forsupplying water under pressure to said nozzle, means for supplying-steam under a lower pressure than the water to the casing in thevicinity of the mouth of the venturi, a conduit of smaller diameter thanthe casing coned for -connection with a boilershell, said casingproviding a chamber between the delivery end of the venturi and saidpipe of greater cross sectional area than that ofthe stream of waterentering the chamber through said venturi, and means for controlling thedelivery of said steam and water t'o said casing.

2. A boiler conditioning apparatus comprising a cylindrical casingprovided .with an internal, annular shoulder, a Venturi tube seated onsaid shoulder, a nozzle projecting into the upper end of the casing intocooperativerelation to said venturi, means for securing said nozzle inposition, means for supplying water under pressure to said nozzle, meansfor supplying steam under a lower pressure than the water to the casingin the vicinity. of the mouth of the venturi, a conduit of smallerdiameter than the casing connected to the lower end of the casing andadapted for connection with a boiler shell, said casing providing achamber between the delivery end of the venturi and said Apipe ofgreater cross sectional area than that of the stream of water enteringthe`chamber through said venturi, and a branch conduit leading from saidchamber through which boiler blowoff products delivered tothe chamber bythe conduit connected to the boiler shell. are discharged 3. A boilerconditioning apparatus comprising a cylindrical casing provided with alaterally opening branch, a nozzle projecting into the upnected to thelower end of 'the casing and adaptper end of said casing, means forsecuring said posed in the casing in proximity to the delivery end ofsaid nozzle and in alignment therewith, said tube being peripherallysealed to the casing; means for supplying steam under a. lower pressurethan the water to the mouth of said venturi, means for controlling thedelivery of steam nd water 'to the casing, and a conduit of smallerdiameter thanthe casing connected to` the lower end thereof andhavingprovisions for connection with a boiler shell.

FRANK W. MnLER.

